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Reprinted from the Minutes of the New Brunswick Historical Club, Meeting of 

February 27, 1908. 



THE TIMES PUBLISHING COMPANY 

J908 



Gift 
Author 
(Person) 

7 G"03 



New Brunswick in the Critical Period 
of the Revolution." 



After the fall of Fort Washington the 
Aiiiorican army pommeueed Its retreat a- 
cToss Xew Jersey, from Newark to Eliza- 
beth and from therce on to Bruns- 
wick where Washington expected to 
make a stand, circumstances were such 
that he found it impossible to do so, and 
he ret rented to Trenton. 

I'nder date of I>eccuH)er 1, 1770, Wash- 
ingington wrote to Governor Livingston 
saying: "That the enemy's advance parties 
were seen last night at Uonum.that they were 
impressing wagons and houes, and collect- 
ing cattle and sheep, which he took to 
mean that they were preparing to march 
a considerable distance 

At 7.;i() p. m., the same date, he wrote 
to the I'resideut of Congress, that t!:e ene- 
my appeared in several parties on the 
heights opposite Brunsvvick, and were ad- 
vancing in a large body towards the 
crossing place. A smart cannonade took 
place while Washingtons' troops were on 
parade, l)ut with little loss on either side. 

Washington's army at this time, includ- 
ing al)Out one thousand men under General 
Williamson, who, by the way, Washing- 
ton did not liave .. high opinion of as 
he stated in his letter th.i. L^ did not think 
Williamson had the confidence of the peo- 
ple, and for that reason the militia from 
the counties of Morris and Sussex turn- 
ed out slowl.v and reluctantly. 

General Greene writes from Trenton to 
Governor Cook, "when we left Brunswick 
we had not three thous;ind men — A very 
pitiful army to trust the lii)eities of Amer- 
ica tipon. We are endeavoring to collect 
a sufficient force to give the enemy bat- 
tle, or at least to stop their progress." 

We have had another proof of the folly 
of short enlistments. The time for the five 
months men expired at this critical per- 
iod. Two brigades i«»ft us at Brunswick, 
notwithstanding the enemy were within 
two hours march and coming on. The loss 
of these troops at this time reduced his 



excellency to the. necessity to order anoth- 
er retreat, Here we are endeavoring to 
draw our forces together. The Philadel- 
phia and Pennsylvania militia turns out 
with great spirit, but the Jersey militia 
l)ehaves scun'ily, and I fear are not de- 
serving of the freedom we are contending 
for." 

Things were very dark on the side of the 
p.itriots, and looking at (hem as they an- 
peared at that time; one can appreciate 
the feelings of WasMngton when he wrote 
to his brother, "I am wearied almost to 
death with the retograde motion of things, 
and I solemnly protest that a pecuniary 
reward of twenty thousand pounds a year 
would not induce me to undergo what I 
do; and after all, perhaps, lose uiy char- 
acter, as it is impossible, under such a 
variety of distres.sing circumstances to 
conduct matters agreeably to public ex- 
pectation, or even the expectations of 
those who employ me, as they will not 
make proper allowance for the difficulties 
their own errors have occasioned." 

What Washington thought was the most 
pronounced cause of these errors, is plain- 
ly stated in the following letter to the 
President of Congress, dated at Trenton, 
December 5th, 1776. 

"Sorry am I to observe that the frequent 
calls upon the militia of this State, the 
want of exertion in the principal gentle- 
men of the country, or a fatal supineness 
and insensibility of d&ngei, till it is too 
late to prevent an evil thf. t was not only 
forseen, but foretold, have been the cause 
of our late disgraces. 

"If the militia tf this state had stepped 
forth In season— and timely notice they 
had — we might ha^e prevented the ene- 
my's crossing the Hackensack, although 
without some previcrs notice of the time 
and place it was impossible to have done 
this at the North Rivi^r. 

"We might with eq\al probability of 
success have made a stnud at Brunswick, 
on the Rarltan, but as both of these rlv- 



ers were fordable in a vrriety of places, 
(knee deep only,) it required many men 
to defend the passes; and tliose we had 
not. 

"At Ilackensack our force was insuf- 
ficient, because a part was at Kllzabeth- 
town, Amboy and Brunswick, gurrding a 
coast which I thought most exposed to 
danger; and at Brunswick, because 1 'vas 
most disappointed in my expectation of 
militia, and because on the day of :he 
enemy's approach — and probably the cause 
of it — the term of the Jersey and Maryland 
brigades expired; neither of which would 
consent to stay an hour longer. 

"These among ten thousand other in- 
stances might be adduced to show the dis- 
advantage of short enlistments, and the 
little dependence upou militia in times 
of real danger. But as yesterday cannot 
be recalled, I will not dwell upon a suD- 
ject which has no doubt given much un- 
easiness to Congress, as well as extreme 
pain and anxiety to myself. My first 
wish is, that Congress may be convinced 
of the impropriety of levying upon the 
militia, and of the necessity of raising a 
larger standing army than what tliey have 
voted." 

Washington in his letter makes the state. 
meut that Congress should not bave 
anything to do with the militia* unless in 
cases of extraordinary exigtucy, but in- 
stead should have an army of forty thous- 
and men, well officered, who would be 
daily improving instead of continuing o 
destructive, expensive and disorderly mo'j. 

Samuel Cleaveland, brigadier general of 
royal artillery, makes the following re- 
turn or ordnance and stores taken by his 
Majesty's troops from the 12th of October 
to the 20th of November, 1776. 

At Fort Washington and batteries de- 
pending; lorn ordnance, four 32 pounders, 
two 18 do., seven 12 do., 5 9 do., 15 6 do. 
8 do., and two five -and-half-inch brass 
howitzers. 

Fort Independence: lorn ordinance: 12 
four pounders. 

Fort Valentine: lorn ordnance: 4 twelve 
pounders, 10 nine do. 10 six do. 37 four do. 

Fort Lee; Batteries in the Jerseys and 
surrondings: lorn ordnance: 5 thirty- 
two pounders, 3 twenty-four do. 2 six do. 
2 three do., one thirteen-inch and one ten 
inch brass mortar. Two thirteen inch, 
one ten and one eight inch lorn mortar, 
thirteen inch,l 10-inch and one eight-inch, 
iorn mortars. 



On the road leading to Hackensack, two 
twenty-four, two eighteen, and four twelve 
pound cannon, mounted on travelling car- 
riages, also four six pounders, unmount- 
ed. 

Total — Torn ordinance : 9 thirty-two, 5 
twenty-four, 4 eighteen, 15 twelve, 15 nine, 
31 six, 49 four, and 10 three pounders, 2 
five-and-half-inch brass howitzers, one 
13 inch brass mortar and 1 10-iuch; also 
thirteen-inch, and one eight-inch, iorn 
mortars. 

Shot: Round, loose: 1087 thirty-two 
pounders, 272 eightnen pounders, 2037 
12 pounders, 300 six pounders,700 four pound 
ers, 870 three pounders. 

Case; 30 thirty-two pounders, 40 eight- 
een pounders, 340 t-^eive pounders, 290 
nine pounders, 74 six pounders, 39 three 
pounders, 1159 double-headed of sorts, and 
42 boxes for grape. 

Shells: 176 thirteen-inch, 511 ten-inch, 
1140 eight-inch, 1170 five-and-half-inch, 
1200 four-two-fifths-inch. 

Powder, barrels 15 

Muskets, 2800 

Musket Cartridges 400000 

lorn. Tons 25 

IntrencJiing tools of sor,-! 500 

Armours' tools, sets 6 

Hand-barrows, 200 

Gin, Complete, 1 

Sling-Carts 2 

Also a large quautity of other stores 
that the American troops were very much 
in need of at that critical period. 

How confident the British were of crush- 
ing out the last hope of American liberty, 
is shown by the folk. ,ving extract of a 
letter received in London from a field of- 
ficer in the King's army, aated New York. 
December 2, 1776. Just the day the Brit- 
ish entered New Brunswick. 

"The troops under General Lord Corn- 
wallis, after driving tlie rebels from Fort 
Lee, or Fort Constitution, in New Jersey, 
proceeded from Hackensack to Newark, 
and from Newark to Elizabethtown, where 
they found great quantities of stores, 
among which are twenty tons of musket 
bullets. 

"The rebels continued flying before our 
army. Lord Cornwallis took the fort oppo- 
site Brunswick, plunged into the Raritan 
river, and seized the town. Mr. Washing- 
ton had orders from the Congress to rally 
and defend that post, but he sent word 
that he could not. 

"He was seen retreating with two bri- 



gades to Trenton, where they talk of re- 
sisting; but such a panic has seized the 
rebels, that no part of the Jerseys will 
hold them, and I doubt whether I'hiladel- 
pliia itself will stop them. 

"The Congress have lost their authority, 
they ordered all the militia of Pennsyl- 
vania to be drawn out, they refused to 
march. 

'"Their second order was for two 
comiianies of every regiment to be 
imbodied and repaired to Washington, but 
they refused to do so. 

The Congress consists now of only seven 
members at l»hiladelphia. and they are 
in such consentration that they know 
not what to do." 

The horrid warfare the tories of New 
Jersey countenanced in which they par- 
ticipated was disgusting. Governor Liv- 
ingston in his speech to the Assembly, in 
1777, said '"That the Uoyalists plundered 
friends and foes; effects, capaole of divis- 
ion were divided ; sucli as were not they 
destroyed. They warred upon decrepit old 
age, warred upon defenceless youth, com- 
mitted hostilities against the professors 
of literature, and the ministers of religion, 
against public records and private monu- 
ments, . books of improvement and 
papers of curiosity, and against the arts 
and sciences. They butchered the wound- 
ed, asking for quarter, mangled the dead, 
weltering in their blood, reftised the dead 
the right of sepulchre and suffered prison- 
ers to perish for want of substenance." 

I>eeds far worse than these, deeds of 
savage brutality, were the works, partially 
or wholly, of the Americans who adhered 
to the royal cause. Not only did the Roy- 
alists plunder his neighbor. But we 
find Mr. Hampton, one of the 
Continental quartermasters, complaining 
tiiat the militia of Essex were plundering 
in Middlesex. It would surprise and shock 
some of the citizens of Middlesex were 
they aware of the fact, that many of the 
most j>rominent inhabitants of the county 
wero under the watchful eyes of John 
Dennis and hSs: assocfates, least they 
should stray from the fold. How close 
a watch this committer kept, and how well 
they discharged the duties imposed upon 
them is a matter of history. They had 
several hundred under constant, but see- 
ret guard. They made charges against 
John Hortwick, and the same were taken 
under consideration by the committee of 
safety, who reported that "John Hortwick 



has always been esteemed a good citizen 
and a hearty friend of this country; that 
he is a military associator, and as such 
has turned out on all occasions when re- 
quired" 

Mr. Hortwick was charged with getting 
supplies and sending them to the captain 
of the ship "Asia. "The evidence proved 
that he and his sons were prisoners, and 
that he traded with the captain to fulfil 
an oath that had been exacted from him 
to regain their liberty of himself 
and his sons. The committee recommend- 
ed that he be forgiven, received into favor, 
and restored to good opinion of his coun- 
trymen. John Brown and Jacob Neifies, 
persons employed by Mr. Hortwick, were 
also charged with disloyalty, they were 
tried and acquitted. 

William Halfpenny was a New Bruns- 
wick huckster who took the protection of 
the King. He was .in old man that sold 
vegetables to the armies, and was charged 
with giving information to the British. He 
was arrested with Teter Overt, Francis 
Letts and a Mr. Lake by Major John Tay- 
lor on special orders of General Putman. 
Halfpenny's case was considered of such 
importance that Washington made a re- 
port of it to the Continental Congress, an 
abstract of which is printed in the min- 
utes of that body. James Wells and Rich- 
ard Churchward, of Paritan Landing ack- 
nowledged that they were in New York 
with the enemy, but said that they were 
obliged to do so when the vjritish troops 
left Brunswick. Thpy were discharged 
on taking the oath of abjuration and al- 
legiance. 

Jonathan Clawson, of PIscataway, was 
brought before the board and on being ex- 
amined said that he was threatened and 
frightened by the provincials to such a 
degree that he fled <nto Brunswick for 
safety, but was taken up by Colonel Dun, 
Cornelius Clawson was brought before the 
board in a like manner. It being found 
that both were voluntary within the ene- 
mies lines for a considerable time. Tiiey 
were given the choice of enlisting in the 
American navy or going to jail. They went 
to jail. 

A man giving his name as John Brown 
was captured by a party of horsemen near 
the enemies' lines at New Brunswick. He 
proved to be John Lee, of Philadelphia. 
He confessed to Major John Taylor that 
he had introduced a uumber of recruits 
into New Brunswick for the purpose of 



joining the British army. One of the most 
rabid Loyalists that went over to the 
King was George Rapalje. He voluntarily 
took the oath of allegiance at Now Bruns- 
wick. 

The committee of safety appointed 
Thompson Stelle a commissioner for tlie 
county of Middlesex. For seizing and 
disposing of the goods and. effects of per- 
sons who had gone over to the enemy, 
he was taken prisoner, and William Man- 
ning was on June 27, 1777 appointed to 
take his place, this was a rather diplo- 
matic, as well as an unsatisfactory posi- 
tion, but those were times when the spirit 
of patriotism led men to do their duty, and 
those men did It well. 

When the Revolution broke out and it 
became necessary for institutions as well 
as individuals to cast their lot, Queens 
College, despite its name and origin, join- 
ed the patriot cause, as the records of 
her professors and students in that memor- 
able struggle well prove, and, more or less 
as a result, we find the sessions suspended, 
particularly while the Tjritish held New 
Brunswick. The trustees had the college 
removed to the north branch of the Rari- 
tan away from the regular route of the 
army. The State enacted a law by which 
students at college were exempted from 
military duty. This law did not have 
much effect on the patriotism of the stud- 
ents of old Queens for we find their tutor, 
Colonel Taylor drilling them, and later 
the.v are found giving a good account of 
themselves on various battlefields. 

One of those who deserves special men- 
tion is James Schureman one of the class 
of 1771-1775, who took part in the battle 
of Long Island, helped raise the first com- 
pany that went out from New Brunswick, 
held a commission as captain, in the early 
part of the war was taken prisoner and 
confined in the notorious old sugar house, 
New York, from whence he made his es- 
cape. After the war oe was elected to 
Congress, where he served as a member of 
the committee that took the first census 
of the T'nited States. He served a full 
term in the United States Senate, and was 
later returned to Congress. During the war 
of 1812 lie was Major of New Brunswick. 
He died January 22 1824. 

Among the associates of Schuremtn was 
Captain Guest, who intercepted Colonel 
Simcoe, of the Queens Rangers, in his 
famous raid through .Tersey. Among the 
pursuers of Simcoe was Captain Peter 



Voorhees, who in his zeai, got in advance 
of his men and was assaulted by the 
enemy. In jumping his horse over a 
fence at the intersection of George's Road 
and Town laue he feh, and the Rangers 
coming up beat him unmercifully with 
their swords. He was brought into the 
city and died in a few hours. This was 
undoubtedly one of the most brutal murd- 
ers that took place in this neighborhood 
during the war. Simcoe was taken pris- 
oner and the rage of the inhabitants was 
so great that the town was searched for 
him to have revenge on his person. He was 
concealed in the old "Washington Head- 
ciuarters" at the corner of Neilson and 
Albany streets, from whence he was taken 
to Burlington where he was exchanged. 

Captain Iluyler was one of the most 
vigorous of New Brunswick's farriors. Ho 
was a special mark for the British. The 
annoyance he gave theixi was so great that 
an expedition of three hundred men, in 
several boats, fitted out to proceed to 
Brunswick and desti-oy his whaleboats. 
The plan was carried into effect January 
7, 1782. The river was clear of ice, and, 
proceeding cautiously up the Raritan, they 
had nearly reached the town, when, at 
midnight, Mr. Peter Wyckoff was awaken- 
ed by the barking of ^ watchdog, and at 
once concluded that an attack was to be 
made upon the city. Mounting a horse, 
he gave the alarm to Captain Guest, and 
spread the word from house to house, 
warning the inhabitants of danger. A 
scene of great excitement ensued. Lights 
flashed through the town, and in a short 
space of time all the able-bodied men were 
under arms. But the enemy had reached 
the whaleboats and set ^hem on fire, Huy- 
ler's men came up, and, driving them off, 
prevented them from accomplishing their 
purpose. They now found that their only 
safety was in a hasty retreat. The night 
was dark and a running fight took place 
in the streets. The British endeavored 
to reach their boats by passing down 
Queen street (now Neilson) to their ren- 
dezvous at the foot of Town Lane. But 
they were intercepted at the Dutcli church, 
from behind the walls of which a volley 
was fired as the.v pressed on eager only 
to escape. The principal skirmish took 
place at Mr. Agnew's but they succeeded 
in reaching the river and made their way 
back to Staten Island. The enemy's loss 
in this encounter was four killed and sev- 
eral wounded. On the side of the Ameri- 



CI lis tliore was the loss of six persons 
wouiirted, none provinjjt fatal, and five or 
six iirisoners. A ball was shot thronjcrh 
the bixly of .Tohn Xafey in this skirmish, 
lii't tlif prompt attention of Colonel Tay- 
Inr saved his life. 

Wlien the enemy entered New Brunswick 
fortifications were thrown up on the hill 
beyond the Theological Seminary, and 
two important outposts were erected, one 
at Uaritan Landinjj, on an eminence over- 
liiokin.tc the riv(>r, the other on Bennett's 
Island, two miles lielow the city. Many of 
I lie officers were quartered upon the inhah- 
itaiits and on the property of William Van 
Deursen, below New street, there was an 
encampment with a redoubt thrown up 
fur their protection. 

Many of the citizens were compelled to 
aliaiidon their residences, all business was 
suspended, public worship broken up. and 
the whole town under the control of th" 
enemy. The British jirniy immediately ap- 
jn-ojiriated to their o"-n use all the pub- 
lic buildings of the city. The pews wei'e 
taken out of the Dutch Ueformed church, 
on Neilson street, and it was converted 
first into a hospital, and afterward into 
a stable. The Presbyterian church was 
l)urned. 

Hessians and Tories were let loos? under 
orders from General Ilowe directing that: 

".VU salted and meal provisions which 
may bo Judged to exceed the quantity 
necessary for the subsistence of an ordi- 
ii.iry family shall be considered a mas- 
azine of the enemy and seized for the 
Kill?:, and jriven to the troops as a saving 
for the pnl)lic." 

Tnder such orders the pickling barrels 
and granaries of every .Terse.v farmer be- 
came a lawful prize, the captor in each 
case lieing the .iurige of the quantity nec- 
essary to he left for the subsistence of each 
family. 

The farmers throughout this whole sec- 
tion of country were 'compelled to deliver 
over their stores into the hands of the 
British. At Three Mile Run the buildings 
were plundered, and frequently, fireil. 
Barns were torn down to supply timber 
for the construction of a temporary bridire 
over the Raritan and some of the most 
w.-ii'ton cri'elties were inflicted. 

But they were not allowed to remain in 
tlie i!iidisturl)ed possession of the town. 
Colonels Neilson and Taylor gave them 
constant trouble; Captain Guest was on 
the watch for a favoral)le opportunity to 



pounce upon th? Hessians; James Schure- 
man, who had learned something of war 
at the battle of Long Island, gave them 
no rest, while Captain Ilylor, whose adven- 
tures with his whaleboats around Staten 
Island seemed almost romantic, and who 
could fight on land as well as on water, 
keiit them in constant apprehension. 
These officers watched every movement of 
the enemy, drove liack their foraging par- 
ties into the city, and often skirmished 
witli their outposts. Deede of persona! 
valor were of frequent occurence, and tra- 
illtiiins are preserved In the families of 
the toivn of heroism unsurpassed in the 
whole history of the conflict. Colonel 
•Neilson organized a secret expedition 
against the outpost of the British on Ben- 
wetfs Island, near Weston's Mills. With 
.•1 picked command, numbering two liun- 
dred men, he stealthly approached the works 
on the morning of February 18, some time 
liefore day break. It was a clear, cold night 
iiud a fresh fall of snow rendered the un- 
dertaking extremely hazardous. But they 
reached the works without being discov- 
ered, and Colonel Neilson was the first 
man to leap the stockade. Captain Far- 
mer s:ued the life of his commander at 
this mnment by aiming a well-directed 
blow at the sentinel, who was in the act 
of discharging his musket into his breast. 
The short engagement lasted only a few 
minutes, when the works were surrenderer 
l)y Major Stockton, wlio was the Acting 
Commander of thie post in the absence of 
Colonel Skinner. One Captain, several 
subordinate officers and fifty-five privates 
were taken prisoners, and a quantity of 
munitions of war were captured. The Brit, 
ish knew nothing of this event, as on'y a 
few guns were fired, until some time dur- 
ing the morning, when the Americans, 
with their prisoners and booty, were ffir 
on their way toward Princeton, where 
(Jeneral Putman was stationed, into whose 
liands they delivered their spoils. Col- 
onel Neilson and his men received from 
General Washington a very high compli- 
ment for the wisdom with which he had 
planned and the secrecy with which ho 
had executed this most successful expedi- 
tion. 

When Howe held New Brunswick Wash- 
ington was kept well informed of what was 
going on in the city. Abram SMght re- 
Iiorted SOOO at or near New Brunswick, 
more between that and Elizabethtown, 
to the numl)er of 20,000, and that General 



•v^ ^ i^ i^/ 



Howe had arrived and would give the reb- 
les sixty days to make their submission. 
He also said that he had seen two field 
pieces on the George's Road. Christian 
Hutman reported Brunswick as full of 
British troops. William Hunt saw every 
horse full of Bed Coats. Nicholas Hopper 
made the same statement. 

Bettie Miller, wife of Jeremiah Miller, 
of Colonel Mile's second batalion, said, 
that the British were in Bruns^'ick, the 
Hessians on the other side of the Raritan 
and that their numbers were said by some 
to be six, and by others ten thonsaml ; 
and that their cannon were part at the 
barracks and part on the other side of 
the liridge, all of which w-as very discoui-- 
aging to Washington and his officers in 
their hour before dawn. Reports were con- 
tinually made by the friends of Washing- 
ton's little baud. Although New Bruns- 
wick sheltered many a Tory, it must be 
said of the citizens in general that through 
the whole course of the war they proved 
themselves firm and distinguished Whigs, 
and inflexiltly persevered in their attacli- 
ment to the American cause in its most 
I>eri!ous and gloomy days. 

The spirit and the pluck of the men of 
those days is well illustrated in the story 
that is told of William Lyons, a member 
of the Middlesex militia. On the march 
after the affair at Princeton, Washington 
noticed Lyons, as particularly large blothc- 
es of blood were left on the frozen snow 
behind him. The general seeking his con- 
dition, was moved to compasion and re- 
marked to him "My brave boy you de- 
serve a better fate." "It's all right, sir," 
said Lyons, "There is no danger of my 



feet freezing so long as the blood runs. 
I am perfectly satisfied, and thankful to 
know that I have tried to kill one Red Coat 
and hope to get the chance to do so again 
before long." 

While other cities of the State were 
arguing whether or not they should join 
the Patriot cause and cut the ties that 
bound them to the mother country the 
south ward of New Brunswick took vigor- 
ous action and on June 10, 177G sent a 
petition to the Council of Safety "praying 
that a new government be established, 
and that a speedy and absolute independ- 
ence upon Great Britain be proclamed 

The mighty stream of Revolutionar.y 
events rolled on to its end. The battles 
of Trenton, Princeton and Monmouth have 
taken their place In the history of the 
greatest revolution of modern times. The 
events which took place in and about New 
Brunswick contributed in no small degree 
to the independence of the United States. 

Had Washington failed in New Jersey, 
and in the vicinity of New Brunswick 
in particular, there would never have been 
a surrender at Yorktown. It was here 
within a radius of thirty miles of Rutgers 
College that American independence was 
won. It should not be forgotten that the 
losses to New Jersey in proportion to her 
population and wealth, were greater prob- 
ably, than to any other member of the Con- 
federacy. It was within her borders that 
Washington encountered his greatest dis- 
tresses and difficulties. It was here that the 
patriots fought, half starved, and almost 
naked, that the sun of freedom should 
shine for their posterity. 




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